Decision-Making Processes Between Friends: Speaker and Partner Gender Effects
Leaper, Campbell
2004-10-06 00:00:00
Decision-making processes were examined inconversations between same-gender and cross-genderfriends. Participants were university students (mean age= 19 years) from mostly middle-class, European-American backgrounds. Each pair of friends was asked toparticipate in two decision-making topics for 5 minuteseach. Transcripts of the taped conversations were codedfor suggestions, agreement, disagreement, and abstentions (i.e., neither agreement nordisagreement). There were no significant differencesbetween either the women or the men friendship pairs orbetween the women and men partners within themixed-gender pairs in any of the observed behaviors.However, when speaker gender and partner genderinteraction effects were analyzed, it was found thatwomen with a woman friend were more likely to receivesupportive responses and less likely to receive negativeresponses to their suggestions than were women with aman friend. There were no partner gender effects onresponses to men's suggestions. The results highlight ways in which women and men may handle jointdecision-making with friends depending on both thespeaker's gender and the partner's gender.
http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.pngSex RolesSpringer Journalshttp://www.deepdyve.com/lp/springer-journals/decision-making-processes-between-friends-speaker-and-partner-gender-c2Vl7bZlyN

Abstract

Decision-making processes were examined inconversations between same-gender and cross-genderfriends. Participants were university students (mean age= 19 years) from mostly middle-class, European-American backgrounds. Each pair of friends was asked toparticipate in two decision-making topics for 5 minuteseach. Transcripts of the taped conversations were codedfor suggestions, agreement, disagreement, and abstentions (i.e., neither agreement nordisagreement). There were no significant differencesbetween either the women or the men friendship pairs orbetween the women and men partners within themixed-gender pairs in any of the observed behaviors.However, when speaker gender and partner genderinteraction effects were analyzed, it was found thatwomen with a woman friend were more likely to receivesupportive responses and less likely to receive negativeresponses to their suggestions than were women with aman friend. There were no partner gender effects onresponses to men's suggestions. The results highlight ways in which women and men may handle jointdecision-making with friends depending on both thespeaker's gender and the partner's gender.

Journal

Sex Roles
– Springer Journals

Published: Oct 6, 2004

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